Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip vs Flip XT

I'm currently 19 weeks pregnant with DC1 and looking for pram / pushchair options that are light and compact (we don't have a lot of space and I'll be using public transport as much as much as driving), easy to maneuver and folds down small.

There are so many options and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the Armadillo Flip or Flip XT? We like both of them but trying to work out if the XT is worth the extra cost- at the moment the Flip is £199 while the XT is £499 but we will need a car seat as well and M&P aren't offering any package deals on the plain old Flip. Also, any thoughts on whether we will need the carrycot for a newborn?

We're also looking at the BabyZen Yoyo and the Joie Chrome...there's just too much choice!

I think it depends on how important it is to you to have the option to make the seat rear facing. Apart from that, having looked at them there wasn't a great deal of difference. You could get the Flip with the carrycot so your baby could face you for the first 6 months.

I've ordered the flip xt. There wasn't much that much difference in price at that time though so if I was choosing now I'd go for the flip. The flip xt has chunkier wheels, and feels a bit more luxurious but for £300 more it's not THAT much better! I'm actually thinking of cancelling the order for the xt and getting the flip instead.

The armadillo flip is still parent facing - it's the armadillo that isn't. I'm not going to bother with a carrycot. DCs 1 and 2 spent hardly anytime at all in the carry cot and this one will be a summer baby. We've got the newborn cocoon instead.

Thanks for the feedback Scoopmuckdizzy - the XT version does seem a bit nicer but I agree, not necessarily £300 better! I can only presume they're going to retire the Flip so they're trying to clear it?

ProbablyMe - what are your thoughts on the importance of rear facing when the baby is 6 months+ ? Both the Flip and Flip XT can face both ways but the BabyZen Yoyo, which is one of the other options, can only do rear facing until 6 months and I'm not sure if that's a drawback or not...

Both of my kids like parent facing, they're 20 months and 3 years and have never really been world facing. They're both talkative little souls and just don't like facing away from me where they can't talk to me about what they're seeing. Except for the occasional zoo trip and the like, when they find the novelty of forward facing almost as much fun as the animals- until they get frustrated I can't hear them again.